Information Dissemination
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2011 Day Three: Social Network. Everyone's connected so no matter how hard you try to keep a secret, people will eventually find out. The Fire Lord learns this the hard way.


**ZUTARA WEEK 2011, Day 3: SOCIAL NETWORK**

**Information Dissemination**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Avatar: the Last Airbender **_**belongs to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.**

**NOTE: I wanted to take an old-fashioned approach to this prompt because I don't want to write an AU with the characters doing things on the Internet. I'm also not a big fan of social networking sites in general so I don't know much about them. So this is my own crazy spin on the prompt.**

**Hope you like it and don't find it too boring.**

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Long before the Fire Lord went down on one knee before the waterbender he loved, all the Four Nations already knew about the proposal.

Granted, not everyone had the exact details and some accounts were just downright outrageous. But days before Zuko found the nerve to ask Katara to marry him, everyone else already knew he would do it.

Zuko underestimated his own importance as a public figure and failed to calculate just how much attention even his personal life was getting ever since he ascended to the throne. He tried his best to be discreet, but the little things eventually gave him away, and he didn't even know it happened.

Of course, he informed some of his closest friends of his intention and he asked his uncle for valuable advice. The people involved all swore that they would not speak a word about the event – directly. Zuko underestimated people's ability to pick up even the subtlest clues.

Everyone was excited about the upcoming engagement and the sudden brightening of the moods of the Avatar and his closest companions (EXCEPT Zuko and Katara) made people suspicious.

During an official meeting of the Order of the White Lotus, the other members could not help but notice Iroh's exceptionally good mood and the twinkle in his eye when he spoke of his nephew and the "wonderful future that lay ahead of him." The members of the Order were far from stupid and since Zuko's love for Katara was no secret to the world, the old men nodded knowingly and shared conspiratorial glances. But out of respect for their friend, they said nothing about it in his presence. Instead, they all started ordering fine robes to be made for them to wear during the wedding.

No one could miss Sokka and Suki's wide smiles when they visited Katara and all the winking the brother had been doing at his sister. Katara paid no attention, attributing this strange behavior to her brother's naturally mischievous nature but Hakoda and the other members of the Water Tribe got his meaning. Sokka swore that he would say nothing about it but when his father asked him point blank (once Katara was away, of course):

"Is Zuko going to propose to my daughter?"

Sokka nodded vigorously. He had kept his end of the bargain. He hadn't said a word.

The Avatar's reaction was a little harder to decipher since Aang was always in a cheerful mood. But he travelled a lot and his excitement was contagious. People could tell that something significant was about to occur and from the way he kept hurrying back and forth between the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation, the citizens of the Earth Kingdom were able to figure things out.

The one who proved most reliable in not betraying the secret was Toph. No one could tell what the earthbender was thinking but since people had gleaned enough information from Aang and Sokka, they didn't need to look to her for confirmation. But Toph heard how much the news had spread and berated her two friends for their indiscretion.

"You guys are lousy at keeping secrets," Toph scolded.

Aang and Sokka protested and asserted their innocence. Toph shook her head.

"People are a lot smarter than you give them credit for," she explained, "and you two are probably the most transparent idiots on the planet. You're lucky that both Zuko and Katara are too busy and skeptical to listen to gossip. But word gets around, believe me, and juicy news like this spreads like wildfire."

But it wasn't just Zuko and Katara's friends who were to blame for the proliferation of information. There were social connections maintained among the Four Nations which had existed for millions of years, vital networks of communication used to keep people in the know. And now that the war was over, these networks became all the more active and vibrant.

It went something like this:

A servant of the palace let slip to a palace guard that the Fire Lord was preparing for a seemingly important journey to the South Pole. But he had packed few provisions and planned to leave alone. He seemed nervous and agitated and the candle in his room burned through the night. Whatever he was preparing for, it was something big.

The palace guard relayed this story (informally) to a lady-friend who, wanting to be the center of attention, spread the story during her visit to the market. And naturally, the marketplace was filled with merchants who came from all over the world who came not only to trade goods but information as well. And so the story would spread and grow, embellished here and there with a fantastical detail or two, as it was transmitted from town to town.

There were many sources, one more reliable than others. A Fire Nation council man would remark idly that the Fire Lord seemed distracted during their last meeting and seemed determined to undertake a journey to the Water Tribe as soon as possible.

Earth Kingdom diplomats noticed that the usually egalitarian Fire Lord was taking pains to get on the good side of the Southern Water tribe in trade negotiations.

Debates went on everywhere about the state of the nation. There was endless speculation about Zuko's love life and many besotted young ladies refused to believe the news. Some argued that the Fire Lord would have to follow tradition and marry a girl from his own country. Others said that these were different times and new (and better) traditions would be made. Endless discussions were done privately or publicly but people were still careful not to let the two people involved aware that they were being watched.

Zuko was under enough pressure so he didn't bother paying attention to the whisperings. Katara, for her part, refused to believe in any gossip, and patiently went about her business. She was expectant but she told herself not to hope too much.

But the excitement and anticipation intensified and soon, people were already throwing bets on the outcome of the proposal. There was much speculation on the possible venue of the wedding and citizens of the Four Nations were reserving accommodations in the Fire Nation so that they could attend the grand celebration. The garments industry was booming as ladies and gentlemen pre-ordered the attires they planned to wear whether or not they would be invited.

Another new industry emerged as well. Zuko-Katara memorabilia was surreptitiously produced from figurines of the future Fire Lord and Lady, paintings, to items that were allegedly owned by Zuko and Katara. The excitement and fanaticism over this upcoming engagement was second only to the celebrity of the Avatar. Aang didn't mind the diffusion of attention. In fact he was most amused by it and even purchased a some baubles to play around and eventually tease Zuko with.

So the fateful day arrived. It was simple enough. Zuko led Katara to a relatively secluded spot, on top of a lovely hill some distance from her village. He delivered a well-rehearsed but still awkwardly executed speech before falling on one knee.

Tears of joy spilled from her eyes as she smiled and nodded vigorously. Zuko smiled back, sighed with relief before standing and taking her into his arms.

And down the hill ran a scout, giving the signal to the crowd below.

To the couple's surprise, the sky was filled with a grand display of fireworks and when they looked over the hill, a huge crowd had gathered. There was a roar of applause and another round of fireworks before Appa appeared in the sky, a long banner attached to his tail that read "CONGRATULATIONS, ZUKO AND KATARA!"

Katara looked at her fiancé curiously but he shrugged and said that he had absolutely nothing to do with all this.

"I don't understand," Zuko said incredulously, "it was supposed to be a secret."

Katara merely laughed at his shock and gave him a warm embrace.

Later, when the couple confronted Aang and the others about this strange and festive turn of events, they all swore that they never mentioned the event to anyone. But Zuko and Katara were much too engrossed in their happiness to be bothered.

"You're celebrities now, it can't be helped," Sokka teased them.

"And good news like this is positive energy so it flows through all the channels of the universe," Aang reflected aloud, "and since we are all connected, it was only a matter of time until the whole world knew about this."

"In other words," Toph concluded succinctly, "people talk."


End file.
